In the media

Biomedical Sciences1 February 2019

Dr Manal Mohammed, Lecturer in Microbiology, recently appeared on the BBC News podcast ‘Victoria Derbyshire’ to discuss superbugs following the new plan unveiled by the government to fight the rise of drug resistance.

In her interview, Dr Mohammed first explained that Superbugs are bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics that used to be effective. She explained that these bacteria have developed resistance mechanisms because of the misuse and overuse of antibiotics.

When asked why there is no current treatment to tackle superbugs such as MRSA, Dr Mohammed explained: “The issue is linked to the misuse of the antibiotics. We overuse antibiotics not only for humans in clinical medicine but also in food, we use antibiotics as feed additives or growth promotor for animals from which we consume products. It is also very expensive at the moment to produce antibiotics. There is few antibiotics in the development pipeline however bacteria will develop resistance again if new antibiotics are misused.”

Dr Mohammed’s research focuses on developing bacteriophage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of superbugs and antibiotic resistant bacteria.

About the University of Westminster:

The University of Westminster boasts a vibrant learning environment attracting more than 20,000 students from over 150 nations and we continue to invest in our future with new developments, research projects and new ideas.

We offer highly attractive practice-based courses that are independently rated as excellent, many with international recognition. Our distinguished 180-year history has meant we lead the way in many areas of research, particularly politics, media, art and design, architecture and biomedical sciences, and our position in the city of London allows us to continue to build on our close connections with leading figures and organisations in these areas as well as in the worlds of business, information technology, politics and law.

Our commitment to educating graduates for the needs of professional life attracts high quality students from within the UK and around the globe.

Internationalisation, employability and sustainability are key elements in the University of Westminster’s vision for the future and we strive to ensure the very highest standards are met and maintained.